Cristina-eoi: Leveson inquiry: Scotland Yard PR chief Dick Fedorcio to appear next week

Leveson inquiry: Scotland Yard PR chief Dick Fedorcio to appear next week:

Next witnesses also include crime reporters, HMIC head Sir Denis O'Connor and Assistant Commissioner Cressida Dick
The head of Scotland Yard's communications department, Dick Fedorcio, is to appear at the Leveson inquiry next week along with half a dozen crime reporters from national newspapers.
He will appear at the inquiry on Tuesday and is expected to be asked about his relationship with senior staff at the News of the World and the circumstances in which the paper's former deputy editor Neil Wallis landed a two day a week consultancy contract with the Metropolitan Police PR department worth £24,000 a year.
Fedorcio has been on extended leave pending the results of an inquiry by the Independent Police Complaints Commission into the Wallis consultancy arrangement. Wallis, who was covering for Fedorcio's number two, was arrested last July over alleged phone hacking at the now defunct tabloid.
Last week, it emerged that Dick Fedorcio enjoyed a close relationship with Wallis and had several dinner meetings with him and other senior officers between 2006 and 2010. Some of these were described as private arrangements made with the former assistant commissioner John Yates.
Fedorcio is also expected to be asked about the press strategy he devised for the Met during his tenure at the Yard and whether he encouraged officers to engage in off-the-record briefings.
Over the past week at Leveson it has emerged that there were serious divisions at senior level at the Met over the issue of socialising with journalists. Some senior officers, such as Yates, believed it was a good relationship-building exercise, while others were critical of the practice.
Two days of next week will be taken up with the testimony of journalists who are at the frontline of crime reporting including crime editors and correspondents from the Guardian, the Times, the Independent and the Sunday Times.
The most closely scrutinised will be Mike Sullivan from the Sun, who is due to appear on Thursday. Sullivan has separately been arrested as part of the Met's ongoing Operation Elveden probe into the alleged bribery of public officials by journalists at News International.
Jeff Edwards, chairman of the Crime Reporters' Association, who has covered crime for more than 40 years included a long stint at the Daily Mirror, will appear on Wednesday as will Sandra Laville of the Guardian, Paul Peachey of the Independent and Jonathan Ungoed-Thomas of the Sunday Times. Stephen Wright from the Daily Mail will give evidence on Thursday.
Also on next week is Sir Denis O'Connor, Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Constabulary, who is scheduled to appear on Monday along with Met police officer Cressida Dick, who was appointed assistant commissioner (specialist operations) following the resignation of John Yates.
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Lisa O'Carroll